Developed to replace the A-1 Skyraider the A-4 Skyhawk was extremely lightweight
maneuverable inexpensive and didn’t need folding wings. One of the upgrades saw 499 A-
4E’s built, some received a lighter weight 8,500 lb thrust engine and some late production
planes had the 9,300 lb thrust engines as well as an upper fuselage “hump back” avionics
pod added. All had one hard point added under each wing, re-designed center fuselage, air
intakes, and airframe strengthening with bomb and navigation upgrades. Because of all the
missions and tonnage of weapons delivered the A-4 was dubbed “The Workhorse of
Vietnam”, this is "The Little Plane That Could". Eight A-4E’s were sold to Royal Australian
Navy.

A-4E Skyhawk Bu.No 151073 NM208 belonged to the Operations Officer of VA-192
“Golden Dragons”. On April 20, 1967 LCDR Michael J. Estocin led a Shrike anti-radar
attack on Haiphong. His aircraft was damaged by a SAM but he managed to return to the
Ticonderoga. On April 26, 1967 he led another attack on Haiphong and again his aircraft
was badly damaged by a SAM. With his aircraft burning he managed to fire his missiles at
the target and then turn toward the sea but as he approached the coast his fiery aircraft
rolled inverted and crashed. Another pilot said he didn’t see any sign of a parachute. LCDR
Estocin was considered an MIA until November 10, 1977 when the Secretary of the Navy
gave approval for a Presumptive Finding of Death. The cause of death was coded as
“Hostile, Died While Captured”. Sadly his remains have never been repatriated. For his
many actions during these two missions LCDR Estocin was awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor. He is the only Navy pilot to receive the MOH for actions performed during a
combat mission. The USS Estocin was named after him.

A-4E Skyhawk Specifications

Performance:
Engine - 1 x Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A turbojet, 8500 lb. of thrust
Max speed 673 mph at sea level with a clean aircraft - 636 mph at sea level with a Mk. 28
nuclear weapon
Cruising speed - 498 mph
Stall speed - 139 mph
Combat ceiling (clean aircraft) - 40,500 feet
Runway to 20,000 ft – 4 minutes

Flight distances:
230 miles with a Mk. 28 weapon
680 miles with 2 X 300-gallon drop tanks
Ferry range - 2130 miles

Dimensions:
Wingspan - 27 ft 6 in
Length - 41ft 4 in
Height - 15 ft
Wing area - 260 sq ft

Weights:
Empty - 9,624 lb.
Gross - 18,300 lbs.
Maximum - 22,950 lbs.

Armament:
2 x 20 mm cannon with 200 rounds/gun
Maximum weapons load - 8,200 lbs. carried on 5 pylons - 2 pylons under each wing and 1
center-line pylon

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